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14 in 2014: Baeble's Most Highly Anticipated Albums

FRIDAY, JANUARY 03, 2014|

Posted by: Baeble Staff

After bidding adieu to 2013, it's time to look ahead at what the next 12 months have in store for us. With artists popping out teasers and surprise album announcements on a daily basis, we thought we'd narrow down our current list of the 14 releases we're most excited for in 2014.

James Vince McMorrow - Post Tropical (Jan. 13th) - Vagrant

If you were familiar with James Vicent McMorrow's 2011 release Early In The Morning, his latest Post Tropical will be a drastic surprise. That album was the formative expression of a musician finding his voice, though he never wanted to fall into the "guy with guitar" category in which the debut apparently placed him in. Post Tropical is McMorrow defying the classification; minimalist RnB, steeped in dreamy, James Blake-esque electronics, and driven to the kind of emotional depths that will require multiple listens to truly appreciate. Start with "Cavalier", the album's stunning first single. -DP

Augustines - Augustines (Jan. 21st) - Oxcart Records

We Are Augustines' Rise Ye Sunken Ships never really felt like a debut. It was an album salvaged from the wreck of the good ship Pela. These were a collection of songs in that bands' repertoire, put on hold when that band met its doom. Once you dove into the harrowing work, it was clear why Billy McCarthy, Eric Sanderson, and Rob Allen were so committed to shedding light on them. Rise Ye Sunken Ships packs such an intense, emotional wallop as it cycles through. Two and half years later, the trio returns, complete with a more efficient new name, and a follow-up we think will be one of the new year's most exciting album releases. Below is one of the best of the band's early offerings, "Nothing To Lose But Your Head", keep an eye on the site for next week's exclusive session and interview, and be sure to pick up the band's intense new album when it's released on January 21st. -DP

Broken Bells - After the Disco (Feb. 4th) - Columbia

The collaborative project Broken Bells first introduced themselves through their self-titled debut in 2010, which combined the scenic sounds of Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) with the emblematic and familiar voice of The Shins' James Mercer. From what we've heard off the duo's follow-up, After the Disco, we're all in for spacey voyage this February. Accompanied by a short-film written by Danger Mouse and starring Kate Mara (House of Cards) and Anton Yelchin (Star Trek), the record has the feel of a concept album. The film carries a 60s B-movie, sci-fi kick, one which complements the stellar psych-pop perfectly. -MH

Water Liars - Water Liars (Feb. 4th) - Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum

This past week a friend of mine in Chicago shared something with me that I probably shouldn't have been hearing yet; Water Liars new self-titled album, their second in as many years. He had been in the studio with the band and producer Bruce Watson in Mississippi and oh-so-luckily nabbed a copy of the album pretty much before anyone outside of the band had heard anything. With sweet whiskey on my lips and the band's richer new studio sound in the ear, I'd call it a satisfying afternoon. Now all I want to do is hear Water Liars again. The band teased the release with the surprisingly upbeat single, "I Want Blood". -DP

Phantogram - Voices (Feb. 18th) - Republic

Considering many songs off their debut release Eyelid Movies (2009) still regularly appear on our playlists four years later, we're about ready for the New York duo's forthcoming, sophomore follow-up LP Voices. We were first introduced to the new material back in September when they shared "Black Out Days" and others on their self-titled EP, but we were instantly hooked by the quaking surges of "Fall In Love". -MH

St. Vincent - St. Vincent (Feb. 25th) - 4AD

After spending two years in a collaborative relationship with David Byrne, Annie Clark is returning to the solo sphere with a full-length follow up to 2011's critically acclaimed Strange Mercy. In talking about the forthcoming self-titled record Clark stated, "I wanted to make a party record you could play at a funeral." And in the first single "Birth In Reverse", released early last month, oozes with the groove she was aiming to achieve. -MH

Metronomy - Love Letters (March 10th) - Because Music

Metronomy's last album, The English Riviera, is a quirky, strange, and hypnotic gem. It's criminally underappreciated, even on my own iPod. Every time a song like "Everything Goes My Way" or "The Look" pops up I think, "Oh yeah, I should really pull this out more often." In the lead up to the band's new album Love Letters, you can bet I will be doing so. The band's new teaser "I'm Aquarius" shows them going in a new, slightly odder direction. Its effect is a little less obvious, more disjointed than what we've grown accustomed to. But, it comes together nicely in the end—thedefinition of a grower. We're curious to hear more. -DP

Black Lips - Underneath the Rainbow (March 18th) - VICE Records

Atlanta's brash boys of rock Black Lips are returning in 2014 with their seventh studio album Underneath the Rainbow. Although the band's rude demeanor has had a polarizing effect on listeners, we find it hard to hate on a group who keep the riotous rock vibe alive. Bassist Jared Swilley described the forthcoming as "roots music" with "traditional influences", and after hearing the sinister single "Boys In the Wood", we can't help but agree. Flowing along a billowing blues riff, this first taste is boozy and delicious. -MH

The War on Drugs - Lost In the Dream (March 18th) - Secretly Canadian

Lost In The Dream seems like the perfect cradle to hold Adam Granduciel's new War On Drugs album. The Philly musician has always taken his bud Kurt Vile's knack for alluring, guitar compositions to beautifully constructed, numbing new heights. Granduciel's last album, Slave Ambient was the celestial light at the end of a tunnel of tape, wires, distortion, and circuit boards. "Red Eyes" is the first song to emerge from the new album and it's a dandy. Granduciel's still slave to the ambiance, but the song introduces a classic new drive to his music. Think Tom Petty with more sound gizmos to play with. -DP

Johnny Cash - Out Among the Stars (March 25th) - Columbia/Legacy

The story behind this posthumous Johnny Cash record alone has us excited about its release. Cash's son John Carter stumbled upon the 12 never-before-heard tracks while cataloging his parents' recordings. Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1981, the long forgotten album features duets with June Carter Cash as well as Waylon Jennings. Cash's estate recently revealed this trailer which features one of the unreleased songs called "She Used To Love Me A Lot". Check it out. -MH

Sam Smith - In the Lonely Hour (March 26th) - Capitol

We were first made aware of Sam Smith's intoxicating voice when it shimmered through his appearance on Disclosure's "Latch". The 21-year-old invaded the 2013 soundscape with his smooth sound similar to that of fellow Englishman James Blake, which helped him win the BRIT Critics' Choice Award and work with musical legend Niles Rodgers along the way. To have all this under his belt prior to releasing a full-length record is quite the feat, and we expect him to have an even bigger year in 2014 with In the Lonely Hour. -MH

Wye Oak - TBA (TBA) - Merge

I'll never grow tired of Wye Oak's "Civilian", from their 2011 album of the same name. Its mysticism, its build, its magnified melancholy; the song offered such an emotional shot of adrenaline it's no wonder it was picked up by shows like The Walking Dead to escort pivotal moments straight to the viewers' hearts. The band's follow-up on the mighty Merge Records doesn't have an official release date yet, but that hasn't stopped the band from talking about it. In an interview with Spin, Andy Stack admitted that he hoped "this record can finally be a time when people put to rest the moniker 'indie folk.'" Bold. But drastic changes are apparently afoot. There's apparently not a lick of guitar, favoring a world of droney bass and darker synths. I guess some bands hit a creative wall and others just bust right through it. -DP

Foster The People - TBA (TBA) - Columbia

Mark Foster and his cohorts are such a tease. Yesterday, the band finally broke their silence on their first new album in three years, releasing a snippet of new music to get people gabbing. The band has promised a little more later this month, so, naturally, we're at the edge of our seats. Can't wait to see what kind of kicks Foster The People roll out this year. -DP

Cloud Nothings - TBA (TBA) - Carpark Records

Back in 2012, a couple of garage-punk hungry Baeble employees trekked across the East River to catch this Cleveland trio as they occupied the tiny stage at Glasslands. With two-hundred-something other onlookers, they were wholly absorbed by the group's magnificently clamorous album Attack on Memory. Since that night, those eight tracks have burnt permanent scars on each of their daily playlists, and they're hungry for more out of Dylan Baldi and co. The latest album's title and release date are yet to be announced, however, it was revealed to be produced by John Congleton and recorded in New Jersey back in October. There were many celebratory high-fives when the trailer below was released. -MH